THE GOONIES 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review

Warner Bros has released a very special version of THE GOONIES. It’s the 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition which is available on DVD and Blu-ray.

I got a chance to take a look at the Blu-ray version and the box set is so full of goodies that I need to break it down.

The Movie

If you’re interested in getting the 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, you’re most likely already a fan of the movie, but just to refresh your memory, here is the synpsis:

The Goonies Synopsis: From the imagination of Steven Spielberg, The Goonies plunges a band of small heroes into a swashbuckling surprise-around-every corner quest beyond their wildest dreams! Following a mysterious treasure map into a spectacular underground realm of twisting passages, outrageous booby-traps and a long-lost pirate ship full of golden doubloons, the kids race to stay one step ahead of a family of bumbling bad guys?and a mild mannered monster with a face only a mother could love.

The Goonies is a cult movie and I know that it was a big part of my life. And if you haven’t seen it yet, let me tell you, they don’t make movies like that anymore. The Goonies has it all adventure, comedy, a great story, characters you care about, good acting, good directing. To me it’s the ultimate adventure movie.

So let’s talk about the Blu-ray version of the movie. As someone who has watched the movie countless times, mostly on TV or VHS (come to think of it, I don’t think I ever watched it on DVD), watching the movie on Blu-ray was incredible. Everything is so clear and sharp, it was really exciting. I loved it.

And even better, it’s always fun to see the cast, especially since you might recognize a lot of them from their current work. For instance, Martha Plimpton now stars in my favorite new TV show of the Fall season, FOX’s Raising Hope (you can read more about Raising Hope over at Daemon’s TV). You might have seen Josh Brolin in movies such as No Country for Old Men, W., Milk, and Johnah Hex. And of course Sean Astin was in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as Sam. And finally, there’s Corey Feldman, Robert Davi (Profiler), and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix).

To conclude, I just want to say that The Goonies just doesn’t get old. I loved it as a kid and I love it now. Although I guess the difference is now I don’t get scared of Sloth like I used to.

Special Features

Even though the movie is great to watch, it’s always fun to have special features to watch after you’re done with it. The Goonies Blu-ray doesn’t include that much, but some of the features are fun. As I digged through the features, I realized that even though I had seen the movie lots of times, I had never seen anything about the making of/behind-the-scenes. So of course the first thing I decided to take a look at was The Making of The Goonies documentary, which is introduced by a very young Steven Spielberg (who was an executive producer and came up with the story). I had such a quick watching it.

In addition to the Making Of, the special features also include:

Cast commentary with director Richard Donner and all seven actors – To be honest I’m not a big fan of commentary, so I can’t really judge how good this one is, but it’s there for those who enjoy them.

Cyndi Lauper music video “The Goonies ‘R Good Enough” – That’s the music video of the song featured at the beginning and end of the movie.

Deleted Scenes – Well, let me tell you, I usually enjoy deleted scenes, but these ones went beyond enjoyment because part of it actually explained a question I have had about the movie ever since the first time I watched it. That question was: “How did they know the map showed a place next to where they lived?”
On the other hand, there’s another deleted scene, that I am glad was never included, which features a sea monster, good call on leaving that one of the editing room floor.

Extra Goodies

So what else does the Collector’s Edition include?

– The Goonies Board Game, which I haven’t had a chance to play yet, but I’m waiting for that Goonies party I’m bound to have one of these days.

– A 1985 Souvenir Magazine of The Goonies, which includes tons of behind-the-scenes stories about the filming.

– A reprint of a 2009 Empire Magazine article with updates of the entire cast, director Richard Donner, and producer Steven Spielberg and what they’re up to now.

– A batch of collectible storyboards prints

That’s it, but if you are a fan of the movie, I’m sure you’ll find all of it very exciting. I know I did.

Overall

The Goonies 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is definitely a great buy for fans of the movie because of everything that comes with it. Although if you have the choice I would recommend you buy the Blu-ray version, it’s really worth it. You can buy your copy of the Edition on DVD or Blu-ray on Amazon.

Sandrine has been a film lover for as long as she can remember. From actions films to rom com to indies, Sandrine pretty much enjoys every type of films, apart from horror movies. She’s always on the lookout for great films suggestions and is open to try anything… that is except for horror films ;)